Personal Finance

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to reporters following the Senate Republican policy luncheon which both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence attended on March 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. Samuel Corum | Getty Images The federal coronavirus relief bill would allow taxpayers to nab a $300 deduction for charitable giving –

Jamie Grill | Getty Images More than a decade ago, the markets were sent into a tailspin during the financial crisis of 2008-2009. But it turns out investors who left their retirement nest eggs alone fared best. That’s according to research from J.P. Morgan, which used the firm’s own data combined with research from the

katleho Seisa Congress may permit retirees to skip required minimum distributions from their retirement savings. The House coronavirus relief bill, which was released yesterday, contains a provision that waives for 2020 the required minimum distributions from individual retirement accounts and workplace retirement plans. A similar provision is in the latest version of the Senate bill.

As the U.S. economy skids and many Americans scramble to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic, one casualty may be credit scores. Some congressional lawmakers want to prevent that.  A Senate bill introduced last week would prevent negative information from reaching your credit report for at least four months, as the nation continues battling

Rep Ilhan Omar (D-MN) takes part in a discussion on “Impacts of Phobia in Our Civic and Political Discourse” during the Muslim Caucus Education Collective’s conference in Washington, July 23, 2019. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts introduced legislation on Monday that would suspend student loan

BongkarnThanyakij It’s been a week since President Donald Trump announced he would waive all interest on federal student loans during the coronavirus outbreak. Brian Byrd’s debt is still growing. “Every day,” said Byrd, a 40-year-old software engineer from Seattle who owes around $50,000. “That clock has not stopped.” Byrd has called his student loan servicer,

Erica Cisneros, of San Anselmo, California, helps her daughters, third-grader Emilia and fourth-grader Eden, with schoolwork at their home. Both of the schools that the girls attend are closed because of COVID-19. Ezra Shaw It’s no fun thinking about scary things that may or may not happen. However, what’s even less fun is not being

cmannphoto | Getty Images Many Americans may soon get checks in their hands from the government. But Uncle Sam could also claw back some of that money. Information about how much those checks will be – and whether or not individuals will pay tax on them – will likely be hammered out in a deal

Princeton University’s campus was largely deserted as of March 18, 2020 as a growing number of colleges require students to leave for the remainder of the spring semester. Jessica Dickler | CNBC “Stay healthy, stay home,” reads a lit-up sign outside the gates of Princeton University. On campus, the majority of students are gone although

US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced on Friday that student loan borrowers could put their monthly payments on pause for at least 60 days during the coronavirus outbreak.  DeVos said this pause, coupled with the suspension of interest on student

Tara Moore | Getty Images A  bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., calls for sending checks of $1,200 to $2,400 to most Americans as a result of the economic damage stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. Based on the language of the bill, most Social Security recipients should be covered. But whether that will

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) Aaron P. Bernstein | Reuters Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., has proposed giving taxpayers until July 15 to submit their 2019 income tax returns – 90 days from the original April 15 due date. The Tax Filing Relief for America Act, which Senators Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Angus King, I-Maine, are joining

If you have cash parked in a money market fund that invests in non-U.S. Treasury debt, the Federal Reserve says it’s got your back. Late Wednesday, the Fed announced a new program that will make loans to financial institutions that buy shares in “prime” money market mutual funds, whose investments include corporate bonds. It’s the

To prevent millions of Americans from running out of money amid the coronavirus, the government has announced plans to send out checks to them soon.  When Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made the announcement about the cash infusion on Tuesday, universal basic income proponents felt validated. Now, the group of those calling for such a policy,

boonchai wedmakawand Financial scammers will likely try to steal money offered to Americans suffering from the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic — and the public should be on its guard, federal officials warned on Wednesday. The White House has proposed making direct payments to American households as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks while flanked by Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) during a briefing about the coronavirus in the press briefing room at the White House on March 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer | Getty Images Taxpayers will get a three-month reprieve to pay the income taxes they owe

AndreyPopov | Getty Images Some good news – in the form of money – may be coming to Americans soon. On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said that the Trump administration plans to move “immediately” to send money to Americans as the coronavirus cripples the economy. “Americans need cash now,” Mnuchin said, indicating checks could

Another wrinkle for the travel industry may emerge as the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues its rapid spread across the country: airline passengers who don’t have proper identification to fly domestically beginning in October. At least two states have now asked the federal government to delay the enforcement date for when travelers must comply with

During the coronavirus, federal student loans won’t rack up interest. subjug Amid the bad news piling up from COVID-19, one positive development emerged on Friday: Interest on federal student loans would be waived until further notice.  That’s never happened before and is an acknowledgment by the government of how tightly this pandemic could squeeze Americans’ finances.

In a rare move, the Federal Reserve announced an emergency rate cut of 50 basis points in response to the growing threat from the coronavirus outbreak. It’s the first time the Fed has cut rates by half a percentage point since late 2008.  “The fundamentals of the U.S. economy remain strong,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said

Many international students are not able to come to the U.S. and that could cause a significant disruption in our college system. For years, there has been a major influx of students studying in this country, particularly from China. In fact, one-third of all the international students in the U.S. come from China — more

DenisTangneyJr Students at Georgetown College in Kentucky received a one-two punch of bad news this week. Amid the coronavirus, classes would be moved online until at least April and most students would need to vacate their dorms.  Oh, and they shouldn’t expect a refund.  “[T]he college is not in a financial position to offer any rebates

Hero Images | Getty Images This week’s market activity probably wasn’t the shot of confidence you were hoping for if you’re retired or planning to retire soon. And your first instinct is probably to protect your retirement income. Yet experts caution that the worst way to do that is to take dramatic actions with your

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks with reporters outside White House in Washington, DC, on March 13, 2020. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that the Trump administration would consider suspending people’s student loan payments as part of a larger strategy to mitigate the economic consequences of the coronavirus.  “I can

If the new coronavirus interferes with your already-planned trip, don’t count on your travel insurance to provide much help. Unless you have “cancel for any reason” coverage, you might be out of luck.  While some insurers have loosened their restrictions, fear of contracting the new coronavirus, or COVID-19, is not covered under a standard policy,

Woman skydivers at sunset. Rick Neves Plummeting markets are making Roth IRAs more attractive, although not everyone can put money into these retirement accounts. Workers can save after-tax dollars in these individual retirement accounts, have them grow tax-free and then tap them free of taxes in retirement. Two events make Roths an even better deal

Countries around the world are scrambling to rein in the coronavirus and understand its ultimate medical and economic impacts. One prominent business school is using the turmoil as a learning opportunity. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania will soon begin offering a new course about the coronavirus — the disease that’s infected nearly 128,000

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrives to testify during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing about the Fiscal Year 2021 budget request on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 3, 2020. Saul Loeb |  AFP | Getty Images If coronavirus is keeping you from filing your tax return in a timely fashion, it just

A tour operator, wearing a protective mask, gestures as he leads a tour near the US Capitol in Washington, DC on March 9, 2020. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images High-deductible health insurance plans may cover the cost of coronavirus testing and treatment — without individuals having to meet their deductibles, the IRS said

Preparing taxes can be a headache. For many taxpayers, it doesn’t have to come with a cost, too. Between public and private options, both online and in person, there are a number of options for free preparation and filing. For about 70% of the nation’s taxpayers — those with adjusted gross income of $69,000 or